Top Ten Most Colourful Games of Last Generation

With the explosive gameplay reveal of Insomniac‘s Sunset Overdrive, it seems like everyone has forgotten about the dark, gritty, brown games which dominated the last generation of gaming. The clashing colours, lively explosions and wacky designs are what captured everyone’s attention in the trailer, however, we mustn’t forget that, despite last generation being dominated by boring military shooters, it still had its own share of colourful games with stunning art styles.

 

Here, we count down the top ten most colourful games of last gen!

 

10. Okami HD

Okami was already a gorgeous looking game on the PS2 and Wii, but its unique art-style truly came to life in its HD release on the PS3. With its sumi-e aesthetic (Japanese Ink and Wash), Okami‘s striking visuals make this 50 hour journey a rather pleasant one.

 

9. Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction

Quick! What to Ratchet and Clank and Sunset Overdrive have in common? If you said the developer, Insomniac, you are correct! In fact, we can definitely see many similarities between the two Insmniac games; the ridiculous weapons, the wacky character designs and the sparkling effects all appear in both titles. There is no doubt that, when it comes down to aesthetics, Insomniac definitely know what they are doing.

 

8. Geometry Wars - Retro Evolved

 

The premise behind Geometry Wars isn’t particularly new or exciting: you are a space ship shooting other objects in space. What made this title stand out, however, was its nearly seizure-inducing use of neon-bright lights and flashy effects which made the game so incredibly fun to play. One of the first games to appear on the Xbox Live Arcade Geometry Wars - Retro Evolved still looks great to this day can also provide hours of entertainment.

 

7. Marvel vs Capcom 3

 

Known for its ridiculously long combos, Marvel vs Capcom 3 also features one of the most striking art styles in any fighting game. Worlds and colours collide in this fighting game, which makes getting caught in an infinite combo online much more bearable when your opponent has such flashy moves.

 

6. Viva Pinata

 

Another Xbox 360 launch game makes it on the list, this time Viva Pinata, by Rare. Rare always had a reputation for making graphically stunning games - with titles such as Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country and Conker’s Bad Fur Day its hard to disagree. As a result, Viva Pinata‘s art style and dazzling colours makes this pinata city builder one of the best looking games on the system to date.

 

5. Rayman Origins

 

Don’t let its cutesy and vivid art-style catch you off-guard; Rayman Origins may start off easy, but the difficulty ramps up tot he point that you will be shouting obscenities  at even the cuddliest creatures. Regardless, its hard to stay mad at the game for long as Rayman Origins features some of the most creative level designs in any platformer and makes the classic formula of running and jumping as fun as ever thanks to its radiant world.

 

4. De Blob 2

The premise of De Blob is literally to put some colour in an otherwise grey and boring world, you can’t get much more colourful than that! This game makes bouncing around and slapping yourself against a wall not only entertaining, but you feel like an artist doing so. It’s also super fun, and its nearly criminal how badly this game was overlooked and forgotten.

 

3. Prince of Persia - 2008 Reboot

Not the first title people think of when you say Prince of Persia, this 2008 reboot wasn’t met with the warmest reception. Its picturesque art style, despite being gorgeous, wasn’t enough to make up for its simplified platforming and combat and didn’t sit well with fans of the series. Unfortunately, this negative reception made it so that this style was born and died with the reboot, and we probably won’t see another Prince of Persia like it. A shame, considering few games matched its beauty.

 

2. Super Mario Galaxy

Of course, how could such a list not have a Mario game on it?! Setting the game in space gave Nintendo as much creative freedom as they could possibly ask for to create the unique worlds and challenges of Super Mario Galaxy. Being a Wii exclusive, Super Mario Galaxy proves that you don’t need the highest specs to have one of the finest and most visually striking games on your console.

 

1. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is one of my personal favourite games of the last generation, and I have a heavy bias towards it, but one quick look at the game’s gorgeous art style and its easy to see why. Enslaved takes a spin on the classic post-apocalyptic scenario and depicts a wasteland as a lush and and eerily beautiful landscape when most games leave them as empty and broken. Scaling destroyed buildings and structures in what once was New York leaves for some spectacular panoramas and easily makes this world one of the most jaw-dropping wasteland in any video game. Also, it has an excellent story and top notch facial animations - do yourself a favor and play the game!

 

This is my personal list, but obviously, some of you may beg to differ. Feel free to tell us about your favorite games with a very bright and cheerful art style in the comments!